The Farside: Into the Unknown
by The Flying Fruitcake
Summary: Takes place after the events of Season 2; When disaster strikes, the Storm Hawks are drawn into a rebellion and civil uprising in an unknown land. Rated M for future Chapters -- Stork/Finn, Aerrow/Piper, Junko/OC, OC/OC...
1. A Rocky Start

_Greetings. It's been some time since I've written anything - which isn't surprising as I don't fancy myself a writer. This is occurring because I'm in need of a little something to help sate my insomnia. This is intended to be a multi-chapter story following the main characters from Storm Hawks, following season two._

_If I continue writing, it will probably involve some Stork/Finn, Aerrow/Piper, Junko/OC - and some OC/OC... I'm usually not one for OC's in a preset storyline, however, this idea has been nagging at me, so I'm finally writing it down._

_If you like it or even if you hate it, feel free to review - as that will probably influence whether or not I continue posting chapters. Thank you~._

_Oh, and I do not own Storm Hawks or take any credit for the characters therein._

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_**Chapter One: A Rocky Start**_

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_**Squadron Log: **Day one in the Farside; we've been unable to locate any traces of Master Cyclonis and we have no contact with the Atmos we know… It's surreal here, everything is beautiful and almost crystalline and while it's tranquil it's eerie at the same time. I will more thoroughly describe this later – I'll have to dedicate an entire entry just for the view from the sky! Currently, we've landed on the edge of a small, lush Terra where we're scouting a perimeter so we can rest here for the night. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to stock full rations before the attack, so we're going to have to locate food soon; hopefully the residents of the Farside speak Common…and are not hostile._

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With a soft sigh Piper closed the log book and replaced it on her desk, leaning back in her chair to momentarily contemplate their situation. As far as she knew, the only way back to the Atmos was through the Doorway, but she didn't know if they would be able to come back here again once they left. No, leaving right now wasn't an option; they had to find Cyclonis before she was able to cause any more harm. However, they were going to have to find food soon – and a way of renewing the power crystals for the Condor.

However, the Crystal Specialist had little time to dwell on such thoughts. Torn from her thoughts by the shrill screams of the Condor's alarms system, Piper raced to the bridge where the other Storm Hawks were gathered.

"Bad news already…" The pilot's eye twitched unpleasantly as he yanked the helm to the right, sending the others tumbling along the floor.

"Cyclonians?" Piper called, bracing herself against a bolted piece of furniture.

"No," Aerrow's reply was shaky. "worse…I think."

"What _are _those things?!" Finn suddenly found himself pressed against the glass of the window, staring down at what looked to be a giant, winged serpent flying beneath the Condor.

"Trouble!" Junko cried as the ship lurched to the side once more. "They're attacking the engines!"

"In short – we're doomed."

"We're not doomed _yet_, Stork. We'll draw them off – you get the Condor out of here!" Aerrow shouted over his shoulder at the pilot as he dashed toward the hangar bay, Finn and Piper in tow.

Before they made it out of the bridge an ear-shattering crash reverberated through the ship and the alarms again sounded. The sudden loss of altitude caused a sickening plunge downward, throwing everyone haphazardly to the floor. Staggering to his feet, Stork regained the controls, yanking them back in a desperate attempt to pull up.

"The right engine is out!" Junko had also made it to his feet and was frantically searching for some tools to repair the engine.

"Doomed." Stork repeated simply, knuckles white from strain as he fought gravity for control of the Condor. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a particularly forested area, and deployed the right air-brakes, throwing the ship to the left. "Hold on, we're crash landing right there!"

In a last-ditch effort to save the ship and passengers, the Merb had driven the airship hard to the left, forcing through a good deal of the lush canopy below them, using it to slow and lessen the immanent impact. Breaking free of the trees, the Condor swept into a clearing, striking the rocky earth at an angle, allowing it to slide. Careening to a halt at the edge of a precipice, a moment of stillness swept over the ship.

"…is everyone alive?"

"Alive enough. Nice work, Stork." Aerrow slowly got to his feet, peering out of the bridge window. "You think those things are gone?"

"Something tells me 'no'!" Finn whined, pointing beyond the glass to two approaching forms.

"Alright, Junko, Radarr – you stay and help Stork with repairs. Finn, you cover the Condor." Aerrow motioned to Piper and they headed for the hangar. "We're going to try to draw them off!"

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_Chapter One - short, but continued in chapter two... After that posting may depend upon reviews. ^^' Thanks. _


	2. An Uphill Battle

_Chapter edited -- thank you for fixing that phrase~! Obviously, I don't write frequently. ^^' Should anyone else find mistakes, please let me know. Enjoy~_

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**Chapter Two: An Uphill Battle**

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"Aerrow!" Piper's voice rang out shrilly as the Sky Knight was hurtled backwards, rolling over as he struck the ground, breaking the majority of the momentum. He stumbled to his feet, throwing his teammate a nod to assure her that he was alright – for now.

"Titan's Might!" A blast of blue crystal force enveloped the pair as they ascended from the ground, Aerrow taking flight after one of the winged beasts, blades drawn.

Below, Junko, Radarr and Stork were working feverishly to repair damages to the Condor while Finn held another of the beasts at bay. His arms were aching with the continuous torrent of arrows he was unleashing, but it was the only thing currently between his teammates and the gnashing jaws of the winged monster. Another round of crystal-tipped arrows flew and the beast again swept up into the sky to circle the airship; this had been going on for almost ten minutes now, but he couldn't let it land or that was it for the Condor – and his friends.

"Any time now, guys! I'm runnin' low on ammo here!"

Not good…he had maybe twenty shots left, and at this rate they wouldn't be lasting much longer. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Piper and Aerrow holding off the other beast, though things weren't looking good for them, either. Fifteen arrows… Yeah, they had that crystal thing and all, but he wasn't sure how long they could hold their binding against something like that. Nine arrows… If it failed, even for a second, they were both in big trouble… Eight arrows, seven, six, five, four… Again the beast ascended and circled, screeching wildly as it snapped its jaws at the marksman.

"Ammo, now?! Otherwise we're dinner and I'm first on the menu!" The blonde screamed down at them, kicking the side of the Condor as though it would convey his urgency more than his screaming.

"Workin' on it!" Junko's voice echoed up from the interior, as well as substantial clattering and crashing before Radarr appeared with another case of arrows tipped with frost crystals.

Mildly relieved, Finn reloaded his crossbow and took aim - but before he could fire, the entire ship lurched to the side, sending Radarr tumbling back down inside. Stumbling to keep his footing, Finn looked around wildly, trying to locate the source. It wasn't the beast; it was still circling though it appeared to be moving higher into the haze of the sky…no, it was flying higher! Looking toward his other companions, he saw that the monster they'd been fighting was withdrawing as well.

"Piper, it's leaving!" Aerrow's voice held some confusion, though he was hardly complaining about the sudden retreat.

"I know…but that's what worries me!" She hurried to her teammate, hovering beside him, both catching their breath. "They're not leaving because we scared them away, Aerrow…something else must have!" Before she could let her imagination fathom what that could be, a low rumble shook the Terra below them. Something was down there – something big.

"Guys, they're leavin'…but uh…I think we've got other problems!" Finn was searching frantically for the source of the tremors, but it wasn't visible – not yet, anyway. "How much longer on those repairs?"

"We've gotta get the right engine secured and we can leave!"

"Time guess, Junko?!"

"Uh…ten minutes?"

An ear-splitting roar echoed across the Terra. Finn cringed.

"I don't think we have that long!"

Aerrow and Piper were heading back to the Condor, waving frantically at Finn, who again kicked at the side of the ship. "Seriously – we got trouble!" Below Finn could hear frantic chattering and clanging from Junko and Stork, trying desperately to get the Condor back into the air. Before Aerrow and Piper reached the ship, another tremor shook the Terra – and the terrible roar again rang out around them.

"What…is…that?"

"I don't want to know – how are the repairs?"

"Almost done!" Came a shout from inside. More clanging and Stork clambered out onto the surface of the Condor, several tools in hand as he darted toward the engine. "We just need t-…" The sharp clatter of metal hitting metal finished the pilot's sentence as he dropped his wrench, a high, thin whimper escaping his lips.

"We just, what, Stork?" Turning at the sudden clatter, the three others froze in place - now face to face with the biggest dragon any of them had ever seen.

Everything happened so quickly that no one really had time to think. Finn loosed a wave of arrows at the monster's face as Aerrow and Piper powered their binding and tried to lure the creature away from the Condor. Junko and Radarr mounted skimmers and launched out of the hangar to assist in drawing the dragon away, leaving Stork to scramble with securing the engine.

-

Recovering his wrench, Stork made a mad dash for the engine, rushing to tighten the braces and put them back into the air and give them a fighting chance. Finn was left to cover for the Merb while he worked, though this was short lived – as a powerful blow from the dragon's tail smashed into the side of the Condor, sending it sliding dangerously close to the edge of the precipice. Managing to grab onto the engine brace, Stork clung on to the side of the engine, willing himself to climb up. The ship lurched again as another blow was struck, sending Finn sliding backward along the contoured metal.

-

"No you don't!" As the ship was jarred again, Junko powered up his knuckle busters and took a full swing at the dragon's face. Roaring in protest to the violent blow, the dragon snapped at the Wallop, nearly sending him off of his skimmer. Fortunately, Radarr had darted in and drawn the beast's attention for a moment, allowing Aerrow and Piper to take a shot at it.

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Managing to find his footing as his teammates drew the attacker away Finn collected his crossbow, though it would do him little good as he realized that all of his ammo had fallen during the last blow. "How's that engine, Stork?!"

"Unless you have a welding torch, some blaze crystals, or a wrench up there – I can't do anything about it right now! Also, I'm sort of busy falling to my painful, bone-crushing DEMISE!"

"Oh, right!" Rushing over to the edge of the engine brace, Finn knelt and extended a hand down to his friend, trying to pull him up. For the moment the dragon was distracted and they had to get the repairs finished while Aerrow and the others bought them some time.

-

"Piper, move!" A blast of crystal energy hit the beast squarely in the face just as the crystal specialist darted out of the way. Yes, they had perfect attunement, but it still made her exhausted and she could tell her speed was slowing. Junko seemed to notice this, however, and quickly brought his skimmer around to pick her up.

"Thanks, Junko!"

"No problem, you two are lookin' pretty tired!"

Before she had time to respond, the dragon reared back, its chest beginning to swell and glow a brilliant red, its jaws opening wide.

"SCATTER!" Was all Aerrow managed before a wave of flames poured out of the beast's mouth, sending them dashing away from the fire.

Junko dove, Piper clutching his waist as the skimmer hurtled toward the ground, the ride transforming as they landed, tires absorbing the impact as they sped off. Quickly finding a large rock to ramp off of, Junko put them back in the air as Radarr brought Aerrow's skimmer around to collect the Sky Knight.

"This isn't working!"

"I know that, Aerrow – I'm thinking!"

"Think faster, Piper!" Screamed Junko as he pulled up, barely pulling the skimmer out of range of another wave of flames.

"Maybe we can prevent it from breathing fire with some ice crystals! Junko, try to hit its mouth with some missiles – Aerrow, let Radarr fly and distract it while we attack its eyes! If we can blind it we might be able to push it over that ledge!" With that, Piper powered their binding and jumped from the skimmer, meeting Aerrow in the air.

Looping around, Junko launched two of the crystal missiles at the monster as Radarr flew in low at its face. As it opened its jaws to attack, one of the missiles hit it squarely in the back of its throat, sending a visible line of frost through its gaping mouth. "Yeah! Come around again, Radarr! We'll get 'em!"

Relieved to see that her impromptu plan was working, Piper flashed Aerrow a confident smile before they flew in to get a shot at one of the dragon's eyes. "Lightening!"

As if on cue, a white-hot bolt of electricity hit the dragon's eye causing it to roar it outrage. There was little time to celebrate as the beast went into a wild rage. Unfurling its massive wings, the monster began to flail wildly, snapping at anything within its reach, claws tearing at the air around it, tail thrashing violently, smashing into the side of the ship.

"The Condor!"

"Finn! Stork!"

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Having just been pulled to the relative safety of the engine brace, Stork hadn't even reclaimed the wrench before the airship was struck again. As the Condor rocked up onto its side, a metallic wrenching echoed out around the valley, heralding the loss of the right engine. As the engine was torn free, the ship continued rolling, sending the two passengers tumbling down the slick metal. Careening dangerously over the edge of the precipice, the Condor finally came to a rest braced diagonally across the mist-filled gorge below, an opposing cliff having prevented it from falling to whatever lay below.

Having been thrown a fair way down along the side of the ship, the pilot had managed to find a hold on the Condor where one of the plates had been bent in the crash. Miraculously, Finn had managed to hold onto the ship as well, and had begun to climb down toward his companion to again pull him to safety. Silently thanking whatever deity had let that occur, Stork slowly shifted enough to get a second handhold on the bent metal plate and secured his grip. Given, he didn't want to stay there for any extended period of time, but he felt mildly better about hanging over the misty gorge when he wasn't dangling by a few fingers.

"Stork?! You okay?"

"…Physically. Until this plate gives way or until the rocks on the cliff shift…or until the dragon mauls the Condor again. One of which will happen very soon. Regardless, death is immanent."

Shaking his head, the marksman continued down toward the Merb, trying his best not to look down at the swirling mists below them. Whatever it was that made his friend paranoid occasionally gave him the gift of cool-collectedness in life or death situations – a sort of calm before the storm which, fortunately, was preventing a flailing panic attack.

"Just hang on…gotta find somewhere to hold onto…"

"Oh, no hurry… I'm beginning to enjoy the view: Misty, swirling vortex of doom… Actually, I'm fairly certain I can see the bottom now – and I'm pretty sure there's something moving around down there."

-

"Aerrow, try to come around again! Lightening!"

Aiming for the dragon's other eye, Piper flew in low toward the monster though the bolt missed the crimson orb, leaving her to sweep up and regroup. The other Storm Hawks were working feverishly to draw the enraged beast away from the Condor, though they were making little progress in their efforts of forcing the dragon over the cliff.

"This isn't working, Piper! We've got to get Finn and Stork!"

"I know that, Aerrow, I'm trying!"

"Look out!"

"Piper!"

Junko's warning had barely escaped his lips as the tip of the dragon's tail whipped around, swatting Piper out of the air. Dashing in on the skimmer, the Wallop dealt a crushing blow to the beast's face, successfully drawing its attention. The moment Piper had begun to fall Aerrow had flown after her, all but diving toward her in attempts to catch her before she reached a collision with the ground. Managing to pull her into his arms, he'd started upward, though in a moment of horror realized that Piper was unconscious. Their bond was broken. In the few seconds Aerrow had to dread the result, the pair had struck the ground, sending Piper rolling out of his grasp and sufficiently winding the Sky Knight.

Above him, Aerrow could see Junko drawing the monster away from them. The view was clouding, though and he could feel something hot running down the side of his face. Where was Piper? Trying desperately to struggle to his feet, the Sky Knight made it no further than his knees before a wave of dizziness swept over him, sending him collapsing back to the mossy earth. He could taste the blood running down his face now, and his vision was beginning to blur and swirl. His ears were ringing. His chest felt as though it were on fire… Though, for a brief moment, he swore he saw a fleet of skimmers approaching them…whether it was real or a symptom of the worsening vertigo, he was unsure, but before he could dwell on the thought, the world went black.

-

"What…is that noise? Skimmers?"

"Sounds like…Oh, shit."

"Reassuring… Natives?"

"Dragon."

"Joy."

"Hold on!"

Once more a violent tremor shook the airship, this time dislodging the marksman. Falling away from the metal frame, Finn screamed as he fell though he halted much sooner than anticipated. Glancing upward, he found himself suspended by one arm, the Merb's dexterous toes clamped down around his wrist. With an almost audible sigh of relief, he grabbed onto Stork's ankle and silently thanked the deities for the other's prehensile feet.

"This is a brilliant vacation – let me just throw that out there…"

"Yeah, thanks for that… "

"Plan. I hold on, you climb up."

"Great plan." The blonde murmured, chancing a look below them.

Shakily, Finn swung his free arm up to grab just above his other hand, beginning a painstakingly slow climb. Other any other conditions, it would've been an incredibly awkward event, though a fleeting thought had struck the blonde and he briefly wished this wasn't the only situation that allowed such contact with the Merb. That was for another time, though, and the thought swiftly passed. Having made it as far as hanging onto the pilot's thin waist Finn was feeling a bit more confident about making it to safety, provided Stork could hold on a bit longer.

Remaining silent during the ordeal, Stork was intently focusing on maintaining his grip and nothing else; this helped prevent panic attacks, which, for all intents and purposes would do nothing to help their current predicament. Though, all things considered, he should be rather used to such things by n-…

CRACK.

"Oh…that's never a good sound…"

"Plan B?!" Finn was beginning to panic.

"Can you see the bottom?"Stork shifted his grip slightly, trying to see below them, his tone still oddly calm.

"Kinda, yeah…"

With a metallic groan, the damaged plate slowly pulled away from the side of the ship, only two corners of it remaining attached. With another loud crack one of the two remaining bolts snapped and the panel again shifted.

"Stork, I just want you to know… That bookshelf incident was my fault!"

"Touching. See that silvery area?"

"Kinda…?"

"Hope that's water."

"Wha?!"

No sooner had Stork let go of the panel, it broke free of the ship, plummeting down into the mist below, comically clearing a path for them as they freefell through the watery haze.

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_To be continued... _

_Thank you for the reviews~ I hope no one is too bored...then again, you wouldn't be reading this if you were. oo'_

_I really appreciate the feedback!_


	3. Into the Water and

_Short chapter is short... Sorry. ^^' Hopefully the next chapter will be longer. Also, sorry for not updating sooner - I'm super, super busy right now, but I'm really wanting to write more on this, so there should be another chapter coming in the near-ish future! ^^_

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**Chapter Three: Into the Water and...**

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In the few seconds following the plunge into the dark chasm, Stork's mind reeled. How far of a fall could they survive? No, it was too far, and even in the unlikely event that it was water below them, the surface impact would surely kill them both.

For an instant it seemed like the fall would last an eternity, leave them forever free-falling into oblivion. This notion was short lived, however, as he diverted his gaze. It _was_ water below them and the drop wasn't as far as he'd first thought. Hitting the surface may not kill them immediately, though it would likely cause injury – and they would likely drown as a result.

All of these thoughts had been processed almost instantaneously, and he barely had time to take a breath before he was plunged into the still pool.

The impact from the water was jarring and it knocked the breath from him, leaving him temporarily dazed, slowly sinking through the chilled water. Recovering as survival instincts kicked in, he clawed his way to the surface, sucking in gasping breaths of the heavy, moist air. He was vaguely aware of an ache in his legs and feet, and due to his otherwise lack of injury, he could only assume he'd hit the water feet first. Treading water, he searched wildly around for the marksman, though he couldn't see that he'd yet broken the surface.

"Finn?!" His collectedness had flown, replaced by urgency leading to panic.

When he called out again and was answered with silence, he delved back under the surface of the water. Despite the seeming darkness they had fallen into, the water was surprisingly clear and bright, illuminated by a number of crystals formed into the rocks. This was both terrifying and reassuring as he may have hope for finding his teammate, though it would also allow a view of anything else that might dwell in the lake.

Yellow eyes blinked feverishly, trying to clear his vision as he swam downward. They had to have fallen near each other, and only a matter of seconds had passed before he'd begun searching. Given, they hit the water hard, he'd probably continued on a steady path downward. _There could be an undercurrent to a river. Something could've eaten him_. _No, no… Positive thoughts, Stork… There's no blood, the water is still -- swim faster… _Pushing all other thoughts from his mind, the Merb was forcing himself to concentrate only on his companion.

He could clearly see the bottom of the lake now, and though the water was still, he saw no traces of Finn. He could feel a tightness growing in his chest and he knew he needed to surface for air soon, but he feared doing so would decrease his chances of finding the other. Drowning would do neither of them any good, though and—

_There! _

He'd almost reached the bottom of the lake when he finally caught sight of a flicker of blonde waving gently in the still blue; Finn's uniform had served as brilliant and near-lethal camouflage against the marine colours of the pool. Collecting the other from where he lay awkwardly against the rocky lake floor, the pilot struggled to pull the human over a shoulder and kicked off one of the rocks.

Suddenly it seemed like a very long way to the surface.

The swim up was frantic, agonizing, and downright terrifying. Carrying Finn's dead weight was greatly hindering Stork's ability to swim and it felt as though some unseen force has set his lungs ablaze. His breath wasn't going to last at this rate and his legs were beginning to feel like lead, further slowing their progress.

Then, just when he was sure his lungs were going to burst, they broke through the still surface of the water.

Sputtering and gulping down painful amounts of air, he started toward the edge of the lake. It was no more than thirty feet away but it seemed like miles - and his left leg didn't want to cooperate with even the simplest instruction of "kick". After what felt like a lifetime, Stork forced the unconscious Storm Hawk partially onto the bank, fingers digging into the damp earth as he hoisted himself out of the cold water. Still running solely on adrenaline, he pulled his teammate the rest of the way out of the lake, dragging him a few feet from the edge before collapsing beside him, panting in attempts to regain his breath.

_Can't rest, not breathing…Get up!_ His thoughts forced him upright and he pressed two fingers against his teammate's neck, hoping against the odds. _Oh Gods, no pulse…_ Immediately, he pushed Finn onto his back, tipping his head back. Despite having read about it in multiple survival manuals, Stork had never given rescue breathing or CPR, and the situation made him anxious, though he worked as though he were on emergency autopilot. Finn couldn't wait for his anxiety to pass.

_How did this go…two breaths, then chest compressions…Unless his lungs are filled with water…? _

Pinching the other's nose shut and breathing into his mouth, Stork was mildly relieved to see his chest rise ever so slightly as the air pushed into his lungs. Proceeding to press on his chest, counting the motions, he again administered the breaths.

_Please, Finn… _

Repeating the motions and manically doubting his qualifications to perform such actions, he jumped when the other choked beneath him, coughing harshly as a small amount of water poured from his mouth.

"Finn?"

His response was more coughing, though that was more than the Merb had hoped for in the current situation. Sliding an arm beneath his teammate's shoulders, he pulled the other into a semi-upright position, leaning him against his chest. For a brief moment, Finn's eyes fluttered open and he managed what could've been Stork's name before sputtering once more and closing his eyes.

Feeling his own body sag with relief as his teammate's ragged breathing eased to a steady rise and fall of his chest, Stork became of aware of his own involuntary shivering. Whether it was chill from the cold water or from the events that had just taken place he wasn't sure, but he could feel what little strength he retained slowly draining. They needed to find cover, especially if one of those winged creatures were to happen along – or something worse. His overactive mind could only begin to fathom what horrors could possibly lay in store for them in the Farside. He'd practically memorized every known monster, illness, and general danger in the Atmos, but he was out of his element here, and that worried him; actually, it terrified him beyond possible comprehension, though he had more pressing issues at hand. They needed to get away from the lake… But first, he needed to regain feeling in his arms and legs.

Mind hazy and body numb, the pilot made a feeble attempt to move them farther from the deep pool, though he resigned in his efforts when he collapsed, still trembling. Wrapping his arms around himself as he lay beside marksman, the Merb let his own eyes slip shut as he listening to the blood pounding in his sensitive ears.

He wasn't a hero, he'd never wanted to be…this kind of thing was for Sky Knights, not carrier pilots, and he found himself ineffectually wising for the comforts of the Condor.

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_To be continued..._

_Review! _

_Thank you~! _

_Also, if anyone is interested in Beta reading for me, let me know - the Gods know my writing needs proofreading~ ^^ _

_Hopefully it wasn't too short, more to come soon!_


	4. Unfamiliar Faces

_Thank you for the reviews, everyone! I'm glad to hear people like it so far (despite some technical errors) - if anyone is interested, I'm still looking for a Beta Reader that can help me pick out such errors._

_Also, I'm introducing some of the OC's in this chapter - I hope it goes over well... I've always been a little iffy on OC's, though I've found myself unusually attached to these._

_Anyway, enjoy!_

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**Chapter Four: Unfamiliar Faces**

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"Piper…?"

"Just hold on, everything is going to be alright…"

"…Piper…?"

"We've got your friend, just relax now…"

"…Pi…per…"

Slowly, as though a veil was slowly being pulled from behind heavy eyelids, Aerrow's eyes flickered open.

The world was hazy, skewed, and spinning. Somewhere overhead a bright light shone down on him, though it did little to aid his vision. With a low groan, he closed his eyes and tried without success to will the dizziness away. Blackness overtook him once again and he drifted back into unconsciousness.

_Voices…?_

"Oh, yeah – there's really no need t'be worrin' 'bout 'em. The girly s'just sleepin' and yer other friend oughtta be comin' around any time now. They sure got all kindsa' cut up, but they'll be just fine. "

_Am I…dreaming?_

Slowly, Aerrow was becoming more and more aware of a number of unfamiliar voices, the haze in his mind seeming to lift.

"That's a real relief… Thank you so much for your help."

_Junko?_

"You're just fortunate we showed up when we did. You're either very talented fighters or very lucky fools...perhaps both. It's not often such a small group survives a Dracent attack."

"Shut up, Jade – he already said they're not from around here, they didn't know."

Once again, the Sky Knight tested his vision, far more pleased with this result. Ever so slowly, his surroundings came into focus and he was able to process what he saw.

They were in a dimly-lit room that looked weathered and very lived in, though the walls appeared to be made of some sort of metal or stone, he couldn't quite tell. He found himself lying on a sort of hospital bed with white sheets; Junko was sitting at the foot of it, holding a mug of some sort, a worried expression on his face. Across from him was a desk cluttered with an impressive collection of chemistry tools he would never know the names of, along with several racks of test tubes filled with oddly coloured crystals and liquids. Someone was sitting at the desk, working with a few of the tubes, though he could see little else there. There were three other people in the room, though only one of them was in his line of vision, and from what he could tell, she closely resembled a Blizzarian. Searching, but still unable to locate the sources of the other two voices, Aerrow's gaze fell on a nearby bed nearly identical to his and he caught glimpse of Piper, lying still on her back.

"Piper?!" Fearing the worst, the Storm Hawk tried to sit up as he called his companion's name though he immediately regretted the decision as a bolt of pain ran through his skull and he fell back against the bed, wincing.

"Aerrow! Hey, you're awake!" Getting from the foot of the bed, Junko moved around to stand over the Sky Knight, smiling down at him. "Piper's just sleeping. How are you feeling?" The worried expression had all but fled from his features and he continued to grin down at his teammate.

Relieved to hear that his comrade was alright, Aerrow tried a smile in return. "I'm alright… Little bit of a headache, but I'll live. How are you doing, Junko?"

"Oh, I'm great – me an Radarr didn't take any damage, he's napping, too."

"Glad to hear… Could you help me sit up?" Despite the throbbing in his head, Aerrow wanted to sit. He felt as though he could get a better handle on their situation if he were able to sit up and think properly.

"Not a good idea there, ya know? Ya hit yer head somethin' nasty back there – ya should stay in bed 'til the dizziness goes away."

Turning his head enough to catch a glimpse of the speaker, Aerrow blinked quizzically. She didn't just look like a Blizzarian, she _was_ a Blizzarian.

"Ya sure yer okay there? Yer starin' and yer eyes are kinna dilatin'… You seein' alright?" The Blizzarian smiled at him, her toothy grin reminding him of Suzy-Lu back in the Atmos.

She had a sweet voice though it still contained an inherent crassness that was also reminiscent of the other Blizzarians he'd met. He guessed to her be about his own height, and probably in her twenties. Large, dark ears stood erect from her wild blonde hair that was tied messily back. Over her clothing she sported a lab coat with the sleeves pushed up past her elbows, a variety of coloured stains clung to her soft yellow fur along the visible part of her arms.

"Heya, Red – ya okay? Maybe I need ta check yer head again…"

"Oh, no – I'm sorry, I was just… I mean, I didn't expect--…" Slowly, Aerrow sat up, rubbing at the back of his neck, relieved that this attempt was fairly painless.

"He didn't think there'd be Blizzarians in the Farside is what he means." Junko chimed in. "Aerrow, this is Ducky-Mae, she's a medic. Oh, and she does crystal work like Piper does!" Junko was grinning again, his expression mirroring Ducky-Mae's.

"Yep, I'm really lookin' forward ta chattin' with Piper here – when she wakes up of course." Crossing over to stand nearer to his bed, she flashed what appeared to be a thumbs-up."It's nice to meetcha, Aerrow. Junko's told us 'bout what happened to ya's." Her smile was contagious and Aerrow couldn't help but return the expression. "Oh – and let's getcha introduced ta the others 'round here."

As she spoke another woman stepped into Aerrow's line of vision. She was petite with long, dark hair that fell in loose curls that bounced as she walked, as did a few other assets. She was simply dressed, though her skirt and top clung to her in all the right places. Despite her small stature, she had an air of authority about her, though a pleasant smile graced her features. She was a human; her skin was dark and her features delicate and soft, giving her the appearance of an islander. Stepping forward and extending a hand, she wrapped her fingers gently around Aerrow's.

"I'm Garnet, Communications Tech. We're very happy to have you with us, Aerrow. It's nice to have some new faces around." She smiled coyly as she spoke and gave his hand a soft squeeze, leaning in to allow the Sky Knight a glimpse of her cleavage.

"I, uh – yes, it's nice to meet you, Garnet…" Willing away the blush that had crept onto his face, Aerrow quickly turned his attention back to Ducky-Mae, who was laughing and shaking her head.

"Lay off 'em, Garnet – he's not even recovered yet. 'Sides, I think he's with Piper there – don' go tryin' ta steal him."

"You know I won't, Ducky – just having some fun." Stepping away from the blushing Sky Knight, Garnet seated herself on the edge of Piper's bed, laughing quietly. "She's very pretty; I wouldn't cheat her of such a handsome boy."

Still blushing, Aerrow flicked his gave up to Junko, smiling awkwardly as if to ask him to intervene. Before Junko could say anything, a male's voice drew the attention from the light-hearted matter.

"Disgusting."

Locating the speaker, Aerrow's eyes widened.

_Stork?_

Looking twice, Aerrow was unsure as to how he could ever confuse this individual with Stork. This Merb was taller and, while still lithe and agile-looking, he was broader with well-defined lines of muscle along his trim frame. His skin was close to the colour of Stork's, though his hair was a soft white and much shorter, falling messily around his long, thin face. His heavily pierced ears lay back against his skull, giving him a rather agitated expression. Not aiding his already intimidating appearance, was a considerable scar, marring the skin along his exposed clavicle and neck. He, like Garnet, was plainly dressed, clad in loose-fitting earth toned clothing. His left arm was bandaged and held against his body, cradled in a sling.

"Two people are missing and all you can think to do is _flirt_…" The Merb's sardonic tone carried a hint of concern, though his face remained a picture of calm irritation.

"Come off it, Jade – the others are out looking for them, you know that!" Garnet snapped, though a worried look had crossed her features.

_Two people missin—… Stork! Finn!? _How could he have forgotten about them! The last thing Aerrow could remember was that they had been back at the Condor when…

"I don't just mean _you_, Garnet – I'm simply amazed at his lack of concern for his comrades." Jade snarled slightly as he spoke, unmoving from his position, leaning against a doorframe on the far side of the small room.

"Is there any news – any at all?" Junko's spirits had fallen, and he gazed over at Jade with a hopeful look.

"No. Pyrite suspects that they fell into the crystal pools… But we already told you that. They haven't called in since, meaning no leads and no bodies…"

"Gods, Jade – do you have to be that dismal all the time? They could be just fine!"

"Heya now – people are tryin' ta sleep. Take it outside if the two of ya's are gonna bicker like that… But you bust that arm up any worse an' I'll have both yer skins, got it?" Ducky-Mae had moved over to the desk and was draping a blanket around the unknown, and now sleeping, figure in the chair. Turning around to give the two a chastising look, the room fell silent.

"Well… no bodies… is more reassuring than anything…" Aerrow had managed to find his voice again, though the colour had since drained from his face. "Stork is resourceful and Finn is pretty tough – they're alright, they're probably trying to find _us_ right now." He tried a weak smile, though the expression faltered and he dropped his gaze down to Piper's sleeping form. "Everyone will be alright…"

_They have to be…_

_

* * *

_

_I think it's a little longer than the last chapter - not really sure. Anyway, reviews are great! Thanks!_

_Next chapter should be up fairly soon...__  
_


	5. Wake Up Rescue

_And here's where things begin to become a bit out of character, I'm afraid - I'm trying my best, but...we'll see. _

_Also, I really appreciate the reviews -- though if you post a link in a review I cannot see it, sorry!_

_Introducing more OC's in this chapter...thoughts are appreciated. I'm still working on developing a few of them, however, and constructive criticism is very welcome. I'm not too great at character descriptions -- I always feel like I'm writing a novel about them, so I tend to make them short. If I could draw well I'd link images. x3  
_

_Much thanks goes out to Rocky Rooster for being my Beta!_

_Enjoy.  
_

* * *

Chapter Five: Wake Up Rescue

* * *

Cold.

Wet.

This wasn't the Condor…

_But where….?_

_That's right, we were attacked and we fell..._

With considerable effort, Finn opened his eyes. He was lying on his back, staring up at the dark, swirling mist that shrouded the crevasse. From what he could tell, his uniform was soaked through, and a heavy chill had settled on his body; he shivered involuntarily. A cold wind had picked up. Breathing wasn't coming as easily as usual, and a dull ache lingered on his chest. An unusual and uncomfortable throbbing was also present in his left shoulder, and he slowly tested his arm. Upon moving it he winced, gasping silently and immediately giving up the effort as his muscles refused the motion.

Slowly, he pulled his breathing back under control and closed his eyes as they threatened to start watering. Lifting a hand to examine his shoulder, he gingerly touched his fingers to the aching joint - and blanched. It felt as though his arm had been detached from his shoulder. Half wanting to slip back into dark unconsciousness, Finn closed his eyes. The discomfort was far too great to even consider sleep.

He needed to find Stork.

He also needed to do something about his shoulder…

With some difficulty, Finn forced himself into a sitting position and pulled his near-useless arm into his lap. He'd broken his arm once before and this didn't feel like that had, it was more a pressing discomfort than sheer pain. However, it wasn't something he could tolerate for long – not, at least, without attempting to do something about it.

_Okay, if I had to guess, I would guess…dislocation? It doesn't _feel_ like that time I broke my arm… _

_That's good, right? Right. _

_No blood, that's good, too. Well, a cut – but it's not bad, so that doesn't count… Think now…_

_Hitting the water could've jarred my arm out of place, right?_

_Okay – I'm going to say dislocation, 'cause I've seen Piper fix that before. If it doesn't work and I mess up my arm…well, I'm right handed. I guess my left arm could be useless and I'd still be an okay marksman. _

_Unless I really mess it up and they have to like cut it off or something. _

_Gods, I sound like Stork! They won't have to cut it off. _

_C'mon, Finn – how did Piper help that kid? He was sitting and she bent his arm…and kinda…rotated it…like… _

"OW! GODS, OW – SHIT…this. Cannot. Be right! " Biting his tongue to prevent any further expletives, Finn groaned and tried to pull his arm back against his side, deciding against his efforts. Tugging on his wrist in attempts to cradle his arm in his lap, he heard a sickening pop and could literally feel his arm slide back into place. The sensation was enough to make him queasy and he nearly fainted.

After a few moments of sitting slouched over and fighting nausea, the marksman slowly sat back up and carefully tested his shoulder. It moved as he willed it this time, most of the discomfort having dissipated, though there was still a twinge of pain present, and he was certainly in no hurry to test his strength.

_Guess I can chalk up another one to dumb luck…_

_Man, it's cold out here! Stork's probably miserable._

Stumbling once, Finn got to his feet and rotated his shoulder again. It was still aching – though it was bearable now, and finding Stork was his main priority – especially before one of those _things_ came back. However, it was not a long search, as he nearly tripped over the pilot who was, conveniently, lying behind him.

"Stork?!"

The Merb was laying on his side, partially curled up, his thin frame shaking quite badly. From what he could tell, the other was either deeply asleep or unconscious.

"Stork, wake up!" Kneeling beside his companion, Finn reached down and gently shook the pilot's shoulder. "Stork? Are you okay?" Shaking him again, Finn raised his voice. "Stork! C'mon, man, open your eyes…"

"…Finn…?"

To Finn's great relief, Stork stirred and forced his eyes partially open.

"Yeah, it's me – are you okay?"

"…fine. You..?" His voice was raspy and he sounded very tired.

"I'm alright – kinda sore, but I'll live." He smiled a little as he spoke. "Guess we survived the fall."

"Survived…good word choice…" Stork was far too tired to explain everything at the moment and he closed his eyes.

"You're shaking-"

"I'm cold..."

"Let me finish? I was gonna suggest moving away from these pond things – find cover or something? I know you don't handle cold too good –Hey, don't go back to sleep!" Shaking the Merb once more, Finn slid a hand under his slim shoulders and pulled him into a semi-sitting position.

"…tired…getting you out of the water…not easy." He was still shivering.

"Huh?"

Getting nothing more than a soft, mumbled sound, Finn looked the other over, putting the pieces together. Stork's uniform was damp as well, leaving him to guess they'd both fallen into the pools. Not having remembered any of it, the marksman could only assume he'd been unconscious for it and that his teammate had pulled him to safety. He _must've_ dislocated his shoulder when they'd hit the water. All things considered the Merb appeared to be in good condition, just exhausted and cold.

As if to emphasize Finn's thoughts, Stork shivered violently a few times before his body relaxed back into the slight but constant tremors. Doubting his current ability to lift his teammate with his injury, Finn looked for the closest location that would provide any amount of cover for them. Spotting a small sort of alcove in the nearby cliff face, he again tried to rouse the pilot.

"Hey, think you can walk?" He prodded the Merb's shoulder. "Stork?"

"…"

"Stork!"

"…what?"

"Can you walk? We should try to move and I don't think I can carry you right now, " he said. "I'm sorry, I know you're tired."

"…yeah…"

His answer didn't seem entirely coherent, but it was good enough for Finn and the present moment.

Pulling Stork's arm over his good shoulder, Finn slowly stood up and slid his arm around the pilot's side. "Alright, we're goin' over by that cliff – it's not too far. 'Kay?"

Getting what he interpreted as a nod, Finn slowly walked them toward the niche. Stork was limping pretty badly, though he said nothing about it and maintained himself well during the walk. He continued to shiver, and as they neared their destination, Finn could feel him leaning more and more of his weight onto him, his eyes fluttering in attempts to remain open.

"C'mon – hang in there." Finn said, trying to encourage the other as their pace slowed. "Stork? Hey – don't pass out on me!"

Stopping as Stork swayed, Finn moved in front of his friend and pulled both of his arms over his own shoulders. "Hold on around my neck, okay?" Crouching, the marksman was able to slip his arms under Stork's knees, pulling him onto his back. Despite his shoulder's protests, Finn managed to carry his teammate the rest of the way to the alcove. Kneeling, he slowly lowered Stork to the ground, fighting to regain his breath. It felt like someone had stabbed a hot knife between his shoulder and his arm, and involuntary tears pricked at his eyes.

"…sorry." Once on the ground Stork curled slightly around himself, trying to still his shivering.

"Hey, man, don't apologize. You already saved me – it's my turn to play hero." Slumping down beside his companion, Finn leaned back against the curve of the rock, catching his breath. "Gimme a minute and I'll go try to find stuff for a fire."

"…don't."

"Don't make a fire?" Finn asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"…don't go."

"Huh?"

Blinking, Finn took a moment to process the request. It made sense that Stork didn't want to be alone; he had more phobias than Finn could ever count, and being in a new place probably didn't help. Plus he was cold, injured, and probably traumatized. After another moment of silence, he slid his arm back under the Merb's shoulders, holding him awkwardly for a moment before sliding his legs on either side of the pilot and leaning him back to lay against his chest. He kept telling himself that it was for warmth – he _needed_ to be kept warm. In all actuality, he probably _needed_ to get out of the wet uniform – though he suspected that waking up naked with his teammate might induce a pretty severe panic attack.

"Stork?"

Receiving no response, Finn sighed and once again leaned back against the rock. At least the wind wasn't hitting them here, and it did provide some cover from any immediate line of sight. Though, if one of those things came back, they would hardly have a fighting chance. They needed to find the rest of the Storm Hawks and get back to the Condor - provided it hadn't been destroyed.

_This is insane! We've only been here for like a day and we're already been attacked, injured and separated. Hell, for all I know everyone else was killed and eaten by that… that thing!_

His shoulder was still throbbing, and the gravity of their situation finally began to descend upon him. No weapons, no communication, no sufficient shelter… It was a real possibility that their friends were already dead, and that they wouldn't survive the night. Closing his eyes, Finn allowed himself to drift down into his thoughts, his arms tightening around Stork's waist.

The wind had picked up and the marksman could hear its bitter moaning whipping over the rock-face, though the niche continued to provide relief from the chilling wind. Slipping back to full consciousness, Finn opened his eyes, blinking in his attempts to clear them. It was getting darker and considerably colder. They needed to find a more secure place to spend the night, though his entire body felt heavy and near impossible to move. He couldn't carry his friend right now, and the thought of leaving him alone was far worse than facing the night in their current location.

Confident that Stork had fallen asleep, the marksman shifted to run a hand through the other's dark hair. It was something to take his mind off of the situation at hand and…he'd wanted to do that for too long, and he told himself he'd stop now that he'd fulfilled that desire. This wasn't the time or place – and it was a one-sided fascination.

He wasn't sure when this had begun, but it had become a growing _desire_. It started with an unexplainable curiosity about his unusual teammate. Then it became lingering looks, taking in his exotic appearance, then to increased "accidental" collisions or going out of his way to walk back to the bridge. It was pretty juvenile, he had to admit – but he could hardly help himself. To think that this could be his last night with his companion brought a harsh sense of regret to the front of his mind.

Continuing to slide his fingers through dark strands, Finn fought to keep one eye open – to be ready for whatever might come at them, but it was a losing battle and the marksman drifted into sleep.

---

"You really think they're down here, Topaz?"

"We've checked everywhere else… it's just the pools and cliffs, now – after that I'm out of ideas. We'll have to do a second sweep in the daylight."

"I'm afraid if we don't find them soon that—"

"Don't think like that, Emerald, we'll find them."

"I hope so...Alive. I'm also worried about Io and Pyrite. It's too cold for them to stay in the water at night."

Shaking her head, Topaz smiled at the younger woman and idly traced a hand over the butt of the gun she carried. She was human, not exceptionally tall but her lean, muscular physique made her a formidable match. A beautiful face did not belie her temperament, though this was no woman to mess with, and anyone who spared her a glance could read it in her posture. "They're tough boys, hun, they'll be okay for a while yet."

Brushing long, copper locks out of her own face, Topaz gently patted the younger woman on the shoulder, gesturing for her to adjust the lantern she held. Emerald was right to worry, their four-man search party had been out for hours – far longer than they would choose to stay exposed, but it was imperative that they found the missing Storm Hawks soon. However, it was and had always been her job to be strong under stress or pressure and she remained resilient, showing no signs of worry.

Taking a bit of consolation in the woman's confidence, Emerald smiled meekly and moved closer to the edge of the still pool and extended the lantern over it. Their two teammates had been down there for some time now – but she knew they were conducting a thorough search and these things weren't fast in passing. She found herself wondering how her sister and Ducky were handling the newcomers and was a little disappointed that she was unable to stay. However, she knew she was needed here – though she had wished her first field experience as the team's medic would've been a little less unnerving.

While she bore many physical resemblances to her sister, Garnet, they had very different personalities. Garnet was outgoing, hot-tempered and always ready with something. Emerald was timid, shy, and level-headed – and very nervous in new situations, though she'd proven more than once to be an exceptional medic's assistant which had led her to her current position.

Though, as she waited, silently watching the water for any signs of movement, she began to wonder if she'd be able to perform efficiently in conditions like these. What if she was unable to help? No, Ducky-Mae had personally trained her and Topaz was there, too. They could handle anything that might occur. Smiling at this, Emerald redirected her gaze to the still surface.

After what seemed like an eternity of silent waiting, two dark figures slowly came into view and her smile melted into a sigh of relief.

Only two – no bodies.

In another moment, they had breached the surface and swam to the edge of the pool, climbing out.

Upon pulling themselves out of the water, both figures slowly stood, removing heavy goggles. One of the men simply shook his head and pulled the breathing apparatus from his mouth, tucking it into a pouch that hung at his waist. He, like both women, was human; he possessed a trim, powerful build that was currently compressed in a dark, form-fitting bodysuit, intended to help keep the chill of the water at bay.

"No luck, then…" Topaz shook her head and stepped closer to the other male who gave her a weary smile.

"No signs of disturbance – but we still have three pools to search in this area."

"Three?! Pyrite, it's freezing, you guys can't keep this up – you'll start suffering from hypothermia!" Emerald had since put down the lantern and was moving to prod at a small knick she'd noticed on Iolite's cheek. Iolite, who was actively tipping his head up and out of her reach, simply smiled.

"You worry too much." He said calmly.

"Well, she does have a point, boys. It's getting really dark out here and you two can't keep diving in these conditions, just gets too damn cold at night." Topaz said, reaching around to shoulder her weapon. "Let's hit the biggest pool on the East side then take a breather and check the cliffs so you can warm up." Stretching out her free arm, Topaz brushed her fingers lightly against Pyrite's mottled cheek and smiled. "Pretty soon Io's lips are gonna match his hair…and if you turn any grayer you'll look like something dead."

"A sexy something dead, though – right?" Grinning, Pyrite slipped his breathing apparatus into his belt as well and knelt to collect his pack.

Pyrite, much like Io, was trim and well built, his frame covered in the same dark suit. He, however, was much paler then the others, his skin an almost pallid gray with darker mottling under his eyes. For the most part he looked like an oddly-pigmented human, though his soaked, ebony hair was currently plastered back, exposing ears that tapered into three distinct points. He also sported a prehensile tail that was, at present, wrapped around his left leg and would've given him a semi-reptilian look, save for the mane of dark hair that ran the top length of the appendage, extending down onto the tip.

"Depends… If you're cold and wet, I'll have to go with 'no' on that one." Grinning in return, Topaz reached up to unclip the radiocom from her backpack strap.

Snickering quietly amongst themselves, Io and Emerald gathered up their own gear and checked the crystals fueling the lantern. Working in the field always seemed less stressful with Topaz and Pyrite around, regardless of their situation. Perhaps because Topaz was a natural at making everyone feel at ease – couple that with her husband's sense of humor and it made even the worst circumstances seem bearable.

"So, kiddo – how are you liking your first day in the field?"

"I'm a little nervous…and I'd really like to find them – but it's not so bad, being out here, I mean." Picking up the lantern, Emerald began to move toward the others but was quickly halted by a hand on her shoulder.

"Kill the light." Pyrite's voice had fallen to a dead whisper and he quickly released the girl's shoulder, kneeling to collect his rifle.

Not questioning, the girl quickly pulled a dousing crystal from her pack and placed it in the lantern, plunging them into darkness. Her hands were shaking now and she felt her breath hitch in her throat. Perhaps she'd spoken too soon…

"Dracent?" Io had silently moved to stand near the other male, eyes narrowed as he squinted into the darkness ahead of them.

"No – voices. Listen."

Silence surrounded the team, all ears straining to catch anything at all.

"East...cleared. Moving …North-Eastern pools…" The clicking of a radiocom echoed off of the rocky walls of the crevasse, and Topaz quietly switched her device off.

"AP's. We need to move up – now!" Shouldering his rifle Pyrite ushered the group back against the base of rocky wall, eyes straining to see into darkness around them.

"There." Io whispered, his hands working to secure a line to the climb harness around his hips. "Ledge off to the right, I see an outcrop we can reach."

Moving quickly and silently, the team made their way to the bottom of the outcrop, forming a semi-circle facing outward. In the time it had taken them to span the small distance, Pyrite had also attached a line to the harness he wore and in the blink of an eye, had handed his gun to Io and started up the side of the cliff.

Pulling himself onto a small ledge, he extended a hand down and pulled Emerald up while the other two covered. They needed to move quickly, as it would hardly be a fair fight if the AP's stumbled across them. Boosting the medic up onto the higher and much wider ledge, Pyrite reached down to take Topaz's weapon before helping to pull her up. Repeating the process with Io, they moved onto the upper ledge, slowly making their way along the rock form.

"There's ten in a standard unit, right?"

"Don't get any crazy ideas, kid. That's too many for you to pick off one at a time."

"No worries…don't have my gun. I'm just asking."

"Shhh…"

Continuing along the ledge, the team froze when a growing light came around a bend in the cliff face. It was one standard AP unit, and from the looks of it, three of the ten were carrying glow crystals. That was an upside, at least. That kind of light was efficient for conducting searches, but it wouldn't allow them to see more than a few feet from them – meaning the chances of going unnoticed were great.

"What…do we do, now?" Emerald spoke so softly that her comrades could barley make out her words, though it was evident her voice was shaking.

"Now we wait – they'll clear this area, and then move on. Just sit tight."

---

"East...cleared. Moving …North-Eastern pools…"

Sensitive ears twitched and yellow eyes slowly dragged open, trying to bring the world into focus.

"…Finn?"

Clicking. A hiss of what could've been static echoed around him and Stork's ears pricked, standing erect.

Slowly, he untangled himself from his teammate's arms and sat up, hardly taking notice of his situation or the aching in his legs. Someone was coming. From the sound of the footsteps a lot of someones…and that made him nervous. Somewhere off in the distance, a light was approaching them at a steady pace.

"Finn! Finn, wake up!" Stork whispered at his teammate, shaking his shoulders. "Someone is coming – wake up!"

"Stork, wha—" Cut off as the Merb abruptly clapped a hand over his mouth, Finn fixed groggy blue eyes on his companion as if to ask for an explanation.

"Voices… I have a bad feeling about this." He whispered, lowering his hand.

"You have a bad feeling about everything – maybe they'll help us." Finn retaliated, shifting slightly to cradle his arm.

His shoulder was still aching, though the haze of sleep had served to deaden it a little. The temperature seemed to have dropped more in the time he'd been asleep, and he could feel himself shivering involuntarily. From the looks of it, Stork was shivering too – but he was suppressing his panic well for the time being.

"We should move, this isn't a good hiding place."

"And where would we go?" Finn asked, arching an eyebrow. "We need help, Stork – not everyone is out to get us."

"Yes, and according to several studies, it's been determined that fifty-nine percent of all unfamiliar encounters are of a hostile nature! We should hide!" He hissed, shaking his head.

"Yeah…little late for that." Finn shook his head and to Stork's horror nodded at the growing light pouring into the niche they occupied. Seconds later, several figures stepped into view. "Hey, guys! Great you came along, we're stranded here and we—"

"On your feet, arms behind your heads. Now!" The figure closest to them pointed an unusual looking weapon in their direction as he gave the order. Stork blanched and began shivering again as he attempted to get to his feet.

"Easy, okay? We're hurt and unarmed." Finn was frowning as he slowly stood up. He could see the rest of the people now, there appeared to be no fewer than ten, maybe a couple more, all of them armed. Stork was right after all…this wasn't looking good.

"Identify yourselves."

"I'm Finn, he's Stork – we're not exactly from around here, and—"

"Put your arms behind your head."

Silently, Stork obeyed the order, eyes flicking frantically over the unit that was surrounding them. This was very, very bad. They were probably going to execute them for trespassing…maybe torture them first, possibly feed them to that thing that had previously attacked them – the possibilities were endless. Topping that, his legs felt like lead and he wasn't sure how long he was going to remain upright without some kind of support.

Having lifted his uninjured arm behind his head, Finn brought the other up but couldn't force it into place as pain was flooding back into his limb. "Sorry, I did something to this one. I'm unarmed; you guys can see that, right?"

"Identify yourselves."

"We already did, I just told you – I'm Finn and he's—"

"Your ID Numbers."

"I don't think we have those, man. We aren't from here, _okay_?" Finn shook his head and turned his head slightly to glance at Stork.

"Everyone has an ID – you provide it or we'll scan it."

"Look, dude, I already told you, we _don_'_t_ have those!" Turning back to face the man in front of him, Finn glared. "We're injured and unarmed, this is totally uncalled for! We don't mean any harm, okay? We need some _help_!" Unable to support his arm over his head any longer, he had little choice but it let it drop to his side.

At the sudden motion, the front man reacted, slamming the butt of his weapon into the back of Finn's head sending him down to the rocky ground, unconscious.

Before he even fully processed what had happened, Stork caught himself growling low in his throat as he turned to face the man that had stuck the marksman, lunging at him. He was vaguely aware of knocking the man to the ground before a blinding pain hit the back of his head and he too collapsed, the world around him going black.

* * *

_To be continued --_

_Reviews are wonderful -- Thanks!_


	6. Good News, Bad News

_Another brief chapter... Fancy that._

_Anyway, I apologize for the short chapters, however, I'm very crunched for time lately and have had a bit of a writer's block -- hopefully this chapter doesn't convey that so much._

_Also, if there are any creative minds out there looking for a little bit of a collaborative effort or that have some unique ideas, message me. I have a few documents regarding this story that I'd like some insight on; mostly because I'm so pressed for time and whatnot - that I think some outside input could help spur this along._

_I still don't own Storm Hawks._

_Enjoy.  
_

* * *

**Chapter Six: Good News, Bad News**

* * *

Stirring from a blank sleep, golden eyes slowly flickered open bringing an unusual room into view. Blinking a few times before scanning the room, Piper lifted a hand to push a few stray hairs from her face; her hair band had been removed and her dark tresses were strewn over her pillow. Soreness was present in her left side, but for what she remembered of the encounter with that monster, she seemed to be fairly intact.

But where was she? Where was everyone else?

This definitely was not the Condor and the dim, grayish room was empty – save for one person.

Very slowly, Piper sat up and gazed down at the sleeping Sky Knight, a soft smile spreading over her features. From the looks of things, he'd been sitting beside her bed and fell asleep, his arms folded on the side of her bed with his head lying atop them. Relieved to find that her comrade was alright, she reached out a hand and gently laid it on his arm. When this failed to rouse him, she lightly shook his shoulder.

"Aerrow?" She said his name quietly, but it proved enough to wake him.

Instantly, his eyes snapped open and he sat up – as though he had been on edge.

"Sorry, Aerrow." She gave him a small smile and shook her head, "How long have I been asleep?"

"No, no… I'm just glad you're awake." He said, relaxing back into the chair a little. "Not too long, a few hours," he said, checking the clock on the nearby desk, "It's almost two a.m. How are you feeling?"

"A little sore, but I'll be just fine. How are you doing?" She motioned to the bandage wrapped around his forehead, taking on a worried expression.

"Oh, I'm fine – just a bump on the head. Junko and Radarr are just fine, too…" He trailed off and the smile faded from his face, his eyes flicking down to fix on his feet.

"Aerrow?" As her friend diverted his gaze, Piper's heart fell. Suddenly she felt cold and she almost didn't want to ask, but she had to know. "What about Finn and Stork?"

"We…don't know." He said flatly, "We don't even know where they are. After we were attacked _we_ were rescued, but they only found four of us. Finn and Stork have been missing since then – and the last I remember, they were on the Condor when that thing sent it over the cliff…"

"Oh, Aerrow…"

"They – our rescuers, that is, went back when Junko said they were missing. They recovered the Condor but never found either of them… They've had a search party out since." Lifting his gaze to meet Piper's for a brief moment, he shook his head. "It's been almost ten hours – still nothing. I…just… I should've been able to--"

"Aerrow, this is not your fault!" Piper said, reaching out to replace a hand on one of the Sky Knight's shoulders. "Please don't start blaming yourself. We were all doing our very best!"

"I know…I just – I shouldn't have brought everyone he—"

"Aerrow, please…" Giving his shoulder a firm squeeze, she shook her head. "Don't do this right now." Tears were pricking at her eyes but she blinked them away. "This won't help anyone!"

"She's right, ya know?" Pushing the door softly closed behind her, Ducky-Mae stepped into the room and switched on one of the overhead lights, spilling a soft yellow glow over the room. "Sorry, wasn't meanin' ta eavesdrop or the like, but the girly's got a point. Them Dracents are a mean-nasty buncha critters and real dangerous, as I'm sure ya saw."

"Piper, this is Ducky-Mae. She's part of the team that rescued us." Aerrow said, glancing over at her.

"Good ta meet'cha awake, Piper. Took a right nasty spill, but'cha should be doin' just fine, soon." She smiled widely at Piper and pulled up the extra chair from one of the desks, taking a seat near the bed.

Surprised to see a Blizzarian, of all races, Piper dumbly nodded and tried a smile. Though, under the current situation, smiling wasn't an easy thing to do, though she supposed she should be very grateful for the help they'd provided.

"I'm sorry, I'm just…very worried about our friends." She said, giving her head a slight shake. "Thank you for all of the help, though. Despite how it might seem, it's very much appreciated." She smiled weakly and again nodded toward the other woman. "So…where exactly are we?"

"Ya's are currently in an abandoned airship in the cozy lil' oasis of a place called Crysta Exotique. An' I gotta say ya couldn't have picked a worse place fer an emergency landin'."

"Oh..." Was Piper's only reply and she looked over at Aerrow once more.

"It's a long story." He said simply. "We've been promised an explanation later on."

------

"Shit. _Shit_!" Watching helplessly from above as the AP unit stopped near a niche in the cliff wall almost directly below them, Topaz bit into her lower lip, suppressing her anger. They had been _so_ close to finding them she could've hit herself for not pushing them harder. Another five minutes and they would've reached them before the AP's did.

"Topaz!"

"Hold."

"But--!"

"I said _hold_."

"Understood." Io tensed, curling his hands into tight fists.

Topaz was right, there was nothing they could do to help in the present situation. There were too many in the unit and they were equipped to rescue, not fight such a large group. Clenching his teeth, Io silently glared down at the scene below them. When the two Storm Hawks were knocked to the ground he felt Emerald flinch beside him, though she remained quiet.

"We need to report back now!" Pyrite said after another moment passed and the unit began to depart with their prisoners. "They'll be taking them to Igneous's palace and we need to get a message to Obsidian ASAP…though this might put a damper in our plans. Let's go!"

"Is Obsidian gonna be able to—"

"Not if we don't move, Io!" Cutting his teammate short, Pyrite led the group along the edge of the cliff, away from the armed patrol unit. This had not been a part of their plans. He had been expecting to find them, dead or alive was up in the air – but he'd never planned on having to spring anyone from the palace. Hopefully an intercept could be made before Igneous got to them, but there was really no telling. Willing their small unit to move faster and faster, Pyrite took little consolation in knowing it was only possible to reach their palace contact if they could pick up a usable signal from the radiocom.

"Alright, we're out of earshot – I'm calling in." Not stopping as she unstrapped the radiocom from her pack, Topaz switched the device on and prayed for a decent signal.

-----

After Aerrow mentioned the lengthy history they had been promised, he trailed off and the room fell silent, leaving everyone present feeling the tension in the air. It wasn't a hostile tension, just a discomfort between strangers and stress.

Piper sighed quietly and bent her knees up, wrapping her arms around her legs. Everything seemed so surreal. They had only just arrived in the Farside and then this… For all they knew, Master Cyclonis was already raising another army of Cyclonians here and they were two Storm Hawks short. She swallowed harshly at the thought of their missing friends and laid her head against her knees and squeezed her eyes closed. She wasn't usually so emotional, but it felt as though dams were about to break behind her eyes and she feared that if she let any tears fall she'd be unable to stop crying for some time.

Deciding to break the rather awkward silence that had settled over the room, Ducky got to her feet and smiled down at Piper and Aerrow. "I know ya's probably ain't in the mood fer eatin' – but Garnet's been gettin some food fixed up fer ya. It might help ya feel a little better if ya could get some of it down, y'know? Whaddya say I go get some of it for ya's? Oh! And I'll let Junko know ya woke up!"

"Thanks, Ducky…" Aerrow glanced up at her and nodded, "If Radarr is awake, will you tell him, too?"

"No problem there Aerrow, I'll g—"

Cut off as the door to the room was wrenched open, Ducky jumped slightly, turning to see who'd caused the commotion.

"Garnet needs you in the bridge." Leaving the door open as he stepped into the room, Jade flashed Ducky an unusual expression.

"Oh? Any word?" She turned fully to face him, ears perking.

"We got a call from Topaz. The signal is shitty and we lost reception halfway through, but there's a situation…" He trailed off as he noticed Piper, then quickly returned his attention to the Blizzarian, "They'll be in shortly – Garnet needs you."

"Right. Well, tell ya's what – I'll getcha some dinner just as soon as we take care of this situation, will that do ya good?" Ducky had turned back to the two Storm Hawks and smiled once more before hurrying out the open door and heading down the corridor to the bridge.

As hurried footfalls faded away down the hall, a new silence filled the room and Jade hesitantly looked up at Piper, his expression neutral. "…good to see you finally woke up."

Lifting her head to see who was speaking, Piper gently nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you." She said quietly, eyes closing once more. Under any other conditions she would've been intrigued by the unfamiliar Merb but, presently, he only served to remind her of Stork. Willing away tears once more, Piper gently bit he lower lip, pulling her arms tighter around her legs.

After another moment of silence, Aerrow had finally had his fill. "Well?" He snapped.

"Well?" Jade repeated flatly.

"Aren't you going to tell us what's going on? We're worried you know! What would you do if it were _your_ friends out there?!" As Piper shot the Sky Knight a discerning look, he mentally cringed at how harsh he'd sounded, but something about Jade had rubbed him the wrong way since their introduction and he was letting the stress get to him.

Arching a brow, Jade fixed his yellowish eyes on Aerrow, before narrowing them slightly. "Those _are_ my friends out there – and thanks to them, you're alive enough to worry about yours."

Lost for a response, Aerrow got to his feet and headed for the open door, refusing to look at the Merb as he strode past. He was seething, though he knew that rightly his anger shouldn't be directed at anyone present. Mostly, he was angry at himself for letting his squadron down; he was still certain that he could've done more to help, despite logic's argument. This, however, did not ease his current anger or dislike for Jade.

"Aerrow!" Piper called after him as he stepped out of the room and stormed down the corridor.

"Hn." Was the only response from Jade as he watched the other exit.

"I'm sorry." Piper said as she swung her legs down over the side of the bed, moving to sit on the edge of it. "He's not usually like this." She was staring down at the metal paneling of the floor, her expression that of mild irritation.

"Presumably." Jade shrugged.

"We've just…been through a lot the last few days and he's trying to blame himself for everything that's happened." She sighed and shook her head, dark locks falling along her face and shoulders. "I know that's not an excuse – but we're very worried…" She trailed off and fell silent for a few moments before turning to fully face the other. "If you don't mind – would you tell me what the call was about?"

"I don't know too much, the signal was terrible and we lost communication halfway through." Resigning to lean against the wall, Jade dropped his free arm to wrap under the one supported in a sling. "They mentioned your friends and something about evading an armed patrol unit – but we couldn't really decipher much more than that. Garnet is trying to get them again but they'll be here soon, regardless."

"They mentioned Finn and Stork?" She was almost afraid to be hopeful, but she was sure he could hear it in her voice.

"We don't know the situation, only that they mentioned them. That's why I didn't say anything directly – we don't know yet." He shrugged once more.

"Oh… I see." Nodding, Piper brought her hands down to rest on her knees. "Thank you, by the way. We all owe your team a lot." She felt as though she should say more to the Merb, but she was at a loss for words. Smiling weakly, she looked up at Jade once more. "I'm Piper."

"Jade." He replied.

"Is that from rescuing us? Your arm, I mean." For the first time she was giving herself a moment to take in his appearance and was surprised at how different he seemed from Stork; though she felt a pang of guilt when she noticed his arm bound up in bandages.

"It will heal." He shrugged once more.

"I'm sorry." She replied. "We must seem like a burden right now, but we're really very grateful for what all of you did."

"It's getting to be more and more routine for us." He said plainly. "It's just an unfortunate coincidence that you all came here when you did. Things aren't wonderful around here, currently. No one blames you."

Before Piper could reply, a cacophony of voices echoed down the corridor along with what sounded to be the faint slamming of a door or hatch. In another moment, Ducky appeared in the doorway, an odd expression on her face.

"They're back!" She said excitedly. "Got good news and bad news, Piper -- yer friends are alive…" She motioned for them to follow her as she went back through the door, "Bad news is they were taken by an AP Unit and they're a'headin' straight for the palace!"

* * *

_Hopefully the next chapter isn't long in the making - and yes, I plan to explain everything sooner or later - I know it must be confusing at times. _

_Reviews are greatly appreciated!_


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